HITC – GLASGOW, Celtic plan to target Sardar Azmoun if Moussa Dembele leaves the Hoops this summer, but could face competition from Everton.

A report in The Scottish Sun has suggested that Celtic have earmarked Rostov striker Sardar Azmoun as a potential replacement if Moussa Dembele moves on this summer, but the Hoops could face competition from Everton.

The Scottish Sun reports that Brendan Rodgers is desperate to keep the 20-year-old at Parkhead this summer, but the club are bracing themselves for big-money bids with the likes of AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Manchester United all keeping a keen eye on Dembele’s progress.

Because of the interest it seems, Rodgers is considering potential replacements for the 32-goal striker should he end up leaving the Scottish Premiership champions, and Azmoun is one of the names he is keen on.

The Scottish Sun reports that Rodgers wanted the 22-year-old while he was in charge at Liverpool, and now it is the Reds’ Merseyside rivals Everton that could damage Celtic’s hopes of signing the Rostov man as the Toffees are also keen on the youngster, as are Lazio, Villarreal and a cluster of Russian sides.

The Iran international has scored seven times in the league, and also found the back of the net against the likes of Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich in Europe this past season, so it is perhaps hardly a surprise that a Celtic side that hopes to reach the Champions League group-stages during the next campaign have been monitoring Azmoun’s situation.

The Scottish Sun adds that Azmoun has one year left on his deal in Russia, so it may not be out of the question to suggest that a move away could be possible if he makes it clear that he has no desire to sign another contract.

While losing Dembele would undoubtedly be a major blow for Celtic if that deal did take place this summer, it appears that Azmoun – nicknamed the Iranian Ibrahimovic due to his playing style – has the potential to fill the void that the Frenchman may leave, so winning the race for his signature could prove as big a coup as signing Dembele from Fulham was.